Vani Kapoor ends three-year title drought, wins 7th leg of WPGT

Gurugram (Haryana) [India], March 24 (ANI): A little over three years after her last win on the Women’s Pro Golf Tour, Vani Kapoor drilled a crucial birdie on the very last hole to card 3-under 69 and take the lead in the seventh leg of the ongoing season. That slender edge was good enough as Gaurika Bishnoi, who led for a good part of the day, was unable to find a birdie over the last seven holes and also bogeyed the Par-4 14th.

Vani finished at 2-under 214 for three days and Gaurika (72) ended at 1-under 215 to be second. Ridhima Dilawari, who played alongside Gaurika, too, had a chance as she birdied 16th and 17th. She needed a birdie to force a playoff with Vani, but instead, double-bogeyed the last hole and fell to third place. Ridhima totalled 1-over 217.
Overnight leader Tvesa Malik (77) ran into rough weather in the final round and was fourth, while amateur Vidhatri Urs (76) and Asmitha Sathish (73) were tied for fifth.

Playing in the final group, Gaurika had a chance to force a playoff as she stood on a birdie putt, which, however, was not a straight forward one. The ball went past the hole and Gaurika was left in second place.

Vani Kapoor, who started the day three behind the 36-hole leader Tvesa Malik, had one birdie and one bogey on the front nine. As the lead group of Tvesa, Gaurika and amateur Vidhatri turned into the back nine, Gaurika held the pole position.

Vani turned the tide on the back nine with birdies on the 10th and 12th and then added a vital final one on the 18th.

“It is great to get back to winning, more so on my home course with my family and friends present. I also want to thank everyone here including my coach, Anitya Chand, and my parents,” said Vani, who has been playing mostly on the Ladies European Tour and elsewhere in the past three years.

Gaurika, who started the final day one behind the leader, was unlucky with many of her putts, including the one on the 18th, where she faced a tricky eight-footer. Gaurika, playing in the final group, did well to come back from a double bogey on Par-5 fourth as she birdied three of the next four holes. But things did not go her way in the closing stages.

On one occasion on the 17th, the ball stopped right at the edge of the cup, and she only got a par, where she deserved a birdie.

It was Vani’s day, more so on the back nine. She not only birdied three times but also saved a couple of very good pars to snatch a fine win.